Chapter 17
Dawn of the Darkest Day
Sonic tapped his foot as he looked through the viewport out to the clouds they were flying through. "I wish we could get to Angel Island faster. Why did the ancient Echidna have this place drift so widely across the world?"
"Be thankful that they did," Sally said from the captain's chair. "The island's path is taking it over Freedom City so Big, Cream, Blaze and Marine just needed a lift by a Republic airship."
"Sounds good," Tails said from the pilot's seat. "So, what's the plan?"
"We'll discuss it at the joint briefing at Echidnoapolis once all the reinforcements arrive, a couple of hours at most."
"Reinforcements?" asked Rotor from engineering. "How many are we talking about here?"
"In addition to Echidnaopolis, the Dingo Coalition and the Fire Ants I managed to get members sent in from all of the Freedom Fighter divisions except for the Nerb Freedom Fighters who are still cleaning up the damage the Deadly Six left. When I said this situation was all hands on-deck, I meant It. This could be our last chance to find out what Specter's master plan for the Chaos Emeralds and these elemental essences is, I'm throwing everything was can spare at it."
Antione spoke from tactical. "That's quite ze army, but isn't it, how you say, overkill?"
"It's all part of a plan to keep them from figuring out where the emerald is long enough to capture and interrogate one of them into finding their hideout."
"And the sooner the better!" said Whip. "The faster we reclaim my essence, the faster I can return to my majestically glorious self."
"Sounds good to me Sally Girl," Bunnie said from communications. "I'd have just liked to have known sooner than minutes from landin' and quite frankly it's kind of odd."
Sally suddenly seemed nervous. "What are you talking about?"
Nicole spoke while keeping an eye on the radar. "Well, ever since Babylon you've been…secretive. You spent the whole trip until now locked in your cabin, sending and receiving encrypted transmissions, you asked to have Sonic bring dinner to you. Honestly, we're all worried."
Sally sighed. "I just want this to go perfectly, with Viktor making new weapons like the robots we fought yesterday we can't afford to fight a war on two fronts and whenever someone like Specter had ever gathered that many Chaos Emeralds it's never turned out good."
"Don't sweat it everybody," said Sonic. "We'll get Amy and the others back, return everything the Pick-a-Card club have stolen then everyone can focus on all these weddings everybody has coming up."
"We'll be there too," said Chip. "Even if you can't see us, you might not all have Sonic's fur but you're all true blue."
"Got that right," but as soon as Sonic said it, he thought back to a private meeting he had last night with Sally.
"If this is a joke, I'm not laughing."
Sally was taking a long hard look out the porthole in her cabin. "I wish my brother had just told a really bad joke, but Harvey Who backed it up with hard data."
"So, the Wolf Pack and Felidae warriors guarding the Black Emerald were attacked by some Ixis Wizards, it was just three guys and they were forced to run away."
"It wasn't that they failed to get the Black Emerald Sonic, it's the that they even knew where to look to begin with. The Order of Ixis has a spy in the Freedom Fighters."
Sonic's quills bristled. "Alright we've had traitors before; Drago Wolf and Sleuth Dawg just to name two; but there's no way it's a member of this team, we've been through too much together!"
"Not many in the Freedom Fighters knew this information and the only other people who did know are either directly involved or connected to the Council."
"Then maybe it's one of them. Charlie's close to Lucian and Fiona, maybe he was working with Masquerade the whole time!"
"From the small number of Ixis Wizards it seemed to have been a scouting mission that was planned suddenly so they got the information very recently. Charlemagne was only let in during a party to watch the Babylon Cup and the attack happened during the race, he didn't have the time to tell anyone."
"Alright Mars then, he's Hershey's uncle and that grumpy cat was never a sure friend to the Freedom Fighters."
"The Council and their families were the first people Elias and Harvey investigated, none of them had any suspicious activity for the past month. Besides when Mars was told about Hershey being pregnant his response was 'Tell me again when my second niece won't be raised in some bizarre cult, then it will be good news,' He's no friend to the Order of Ixis either."
Sonic sighed in frustration. "I hate to say it, but have we looked into Lupe, Queen Hathor and Professor Pickle?"
"All cleared, Lupe and Hathor would not have had their own people attacked and Professor Pickle hasn't left his library or spoke with anyone other than his assistant since that meeting. It can't be either of us since no transmissions were sent from inside the Sky Patrol and both of our movements in here were recorded, but everyone else has gaps where they could have been alone and sent something."
"Wait, Silver, Gold and Blaze. Maybe if they thought giving this to the Order would keep me alive, they might have done it to save the future. Still a bad call but an understandable one."
"I'm having them checked out too, but we can't rule everyone else out either. I don't want to believe they could betray us, but Mammoth has shown that Ixis Wizards are capable of both mind control and creating magical duplicates so we can't rely on motive to find our spy. The only way to find them is to catch them in the act."
Sonic sighed. "Well if they're in trouble better to know now so we can help them, so what's the plan?"
"I've come up with a strategy that will keep Chaos from Specter while accomplishing two other goals. First is catching an Ixis Wizard, hopefully Amy or one of our other friends, to get the location of the Ixis base, second is to find out who the spy really is."
Sonic shook himself back to the present, "I still don't like hiding this from my friends," he thought to himself. "The fate of the world is at stake we can't have this spy doing what they want anymore, but I refuse to believe any of you are traitors. Tails, Bunnie, Rotor, Antione, Nicole, if you really have given this info to the Order please have a REALLY good reason for it."
"I'm getting a signal from Angel Island," said Bunnie. "I'm patchin' her through."
"Attention airship, this is Echidnaopolis Tower," said an unfamiliar voice. "Please provide your identity, purpose and destination."
"This is the Freedom Fighter airship Sky Patrol," Sally said to a panel on the captain's chair. "We're arriving to provide additional security and are requesting permission to land at Echidnaopolis airport over."
"I have the Sky Patrol scheduled to arrive today, please transmit your verification code now." Sally nodded to Nicole who tapped a few keys on the console. "Your verification code checks out, permission granted to land at pad four, I was also told to inform you that all other Freedom Fighter allied transport and the Babylon Rouges have been cleared and landed. We are sending you an approach vector, enjoy your stay on Angel Island."
"Zhat was more welcoming zhen I expected," said Antione. "I never thought echidna security would get to be so accommodating."
Sally looked at Antione with a sigh of relief. "Well if we didn't have the right verification code we'd have been blown out of the sky by their new defensive guns."
"I see the Dark Legion hasn't completely mellowed out," said Rotor.
Tails began to go into a slight dive. "We should be getting a visual on the island now."
The Sky Patrol broke through the clouds and the Freedom Fighters were greeted with a majestic view of the floating island.
"Never get tired of seeing that," Sonic said to no one in particular.
As the aircraft came closer a modern looking city came to view near the middle of the island.
"Y'all could barely tell it was once leveled," said Bunnie. "From how fast they rebuilt I'm guessing the Angel Island echidna had to budge on the whole 'no technology' thing."
"Well they have to live with not only the Dark Legion but the Nocturnus as well," said Nicole. "I'm not surprised some compromise was made given the situation, I just hope that the hatchet stays buried this time."
Near the back of the bridge Gold and Silver had their eyes fixed on the city. {We're almost at the city Blaze,} Silver thought. {How are you and Marine holding up?}
{Marine is fine,} Blaze replied through the mental link. {Me, not so much. Getting up here was nerve racking and even now I get the occasional reminder that we're on an island floating in the sky.}
{You're still afraid of heights?} Gold said. {Of all the things to carry over when you forgot the future why that?}
{I don't know, I can push through it if must, but I am always thankful to get back to the ground afterward.}
{Don't worry,} thought Marine. {Now that I'm in on your mental link I can help with any sudden feelings of panic if they show up instantly.}
{Thanks, but if what Gold told us is true my Acrophobia might be the least of our worries.}
Gold inwardly sighed. {I couldn't get much on pre-imperium history back in the future that wasn't propaganda, but what information on the Freedom Fighters we did have mentioned a battle at Angel Island that tore them apart. If I'm right, then this operation will go down as "The Freedom Fighter's Darkest Day" and all I know about it is that friendships that had lasted years could be broken forever.}
{We can't let that happen!} said Marine. {We just must have to make sure everyone stays friends!}
{But we don't know what happened to cause such a break,} Silver said. {But I have two ideas what it could be. If we're lucky Sonic's death was the trigger so stopping this was our mission anyway.}
{And the second?}
{That it was caused by events that must occur or nothing we ever did will have never happened.}
Marine mentally groaned. {I was afraid you were going to say that.}
{Gold,} said Blaze. {Since I already let Marine in on our secret shouldn't you tell Big? I mean with the Soultouch…}
{No, he's… too gentle, I couldn't bear to put him through all this. Besides he'll need to focus on the battle, the best way I can help is to not have these worries distract him. Once this is over, I'll come clean.}
{Looks like we're about to touch down,} said Silver. {We'll pick this up face to face.}
The Sky Patrol came in and landed on the assigned pad, moments later the Freedom Fighters left the airship and were greeted by Knuckles and Julie-Su. "Good to see you again guys," the guardian said as he took Sonic's hand.
"Good to see you too Knucklehead," said Sonic. "I see Julie decided to rock that same synth skin stuff Bunnie uses on occasion."
Julie stroked her now organic looking antenna quill with an organic looking left arm. "It helped some of the older Angel Islanders ease into letting technology back into their lives. Even after everything with the Twilight Cage and the gene bomb things were touchy for a while, even now there are many arguments, but for the first time it really feels like we can be one people again."
Knuckles grumbled. "Unfortunately, the biggest thing doing that now is the return of the Order of Ixis, the idea of the echidna civilization's oldest enemy launching an attack on Angel Island has got everybody on edge."
"Even with all the Freedom Fighters coming to help?" asked Tails.
"In a way because of it, some people think that if we need this much help it must be bad."
"Because it probably is," said Sally. "I'll explain more when we start the briefing at Echidna Security Team headquarters."
"Thankfully the Forget Me Knots were already here to put on a concert to welcome the Echidna back so Mina's singing should help calm them down. Before the briefing starts Relic wants us to stop by the Hall of Learning, something about new developments with the Black Emerald."
Bunnie gave a nod. "Then we better…"
"Sonic, Chip, Whip and I will go there right away," Sally interrupted. "This will give the rest of you a chance to catch up with friends in other divisions before we get to work."
"Uh, thanks?" said Tails.
"I'll escort them to headquarters," Julie said just before planting a kiss on Knuckles' cheek. "See you soon babe."
After Julie escorted the rest of the Freedom Fighters to a waiting transport Sonic gave Knuckles a playful poke in the ribs. "Seems to me like you two had been making up for lost time, I bet your wedding is going to be the event of the year up here."
Knuckles slumped over. "Seriously, everyone was so busy building a home here we haven't had time to plan anything. Finding compromises between two factions that had differing views on how to use technology with people who were traditionally anti-tech, setting up a government that all three factions and the dingoes would find palatable, Nestor playing peacemaker seemingly every ten minutes, Shade and Remington establishing a combined security force, even Lien-da and Finitivus went to straight to work on the security force and defense system against the Ascendancy after the second take of their wedding."
"It must have been tough," said Sally. "I know how hardheaded the Echidna can be even when everything is going smoothly."
"We had our share of bumps, but a few unifying moments too. There's one you have to see when we get to the Hall of Learning."
"Sounds good, but once we're alone I have a favor to ask, it's about something else we came to do." Sally turned to the two earth spirits. "And given the stakes here you have to know as well."
Within the temple's idol chamber Specter stood before all the Ixis wizards his heralds had managed to recruit. They weren't all in the temple, they'd be packed like sardines otherwise, but he saw them through various images to where they had secretly gathered through which they could see him.
"Children of Ixis the time has come for you to at last show yourselves to the world, today you will be sent to Angel Island to find the last thing we need to begin the Great Illumination. The foolish and the misguided will try to stop you, but our victory was foretold in the Grand Design."
"Glory to the Order!" the cloaked followers said from the images. "Eternal power to Ixis!"
"The foes you will face are powerful indeed, but the Heralds will send elementals to aid you. While the Essence of Water is destined to be ours this battle will strain both sides, our foes will fall into despair as they question their bonds, but at the same time your faith will be tested and most if not all of you will fail."
"Never my lord!" the wizards shouted back.
"Do not fear faltering for it is written in Grand Design that it is in the Darkest Day when all despair blankets the world, then the Great Illumination will shine forth and the truth will forever be etched into hearts of Ixis' children."
"Hail Lord Specter! Hail Lord Specter!"
"Now make your final preparations, I will let you know when we attack." The images faded as Ixis turned to the Heralds behind him. "Ready your elementals, the battles will distract our foes long enough for you to find where the Essence of Water is hidden and claim it as foretold in the Grand Design."
Amy stepped forward, she and Hershey seemed to be near the end of their pregnancy. "Master I don't question the will of Ixis, but I have concerns. Up until now we avoided direct confrontation with the Freedom Fighters, but they won't leave the Black Emerald unguarded. I never wanted to hurt them."
"Sometimes the sacrifices Ixis asks of us are great, as painful as this will be you are ensuring your child's destiny to spread the truth of Ixis past this world. Once this is over with, your friends will thank you."
Geoffrey then stepped up with Amy, "My lord with all due respect I worry about my wife and child. Hershey is in no condition to battle and neither is Amy, they could go into labor at any moment."
Specter's mask made him hard to read to the skunk. "The Grand Design requires you all to there, but I can assure you that no harm will befall the young ones, if any risk to the children emerges, I will intervene personally."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"I will send the signal shortly. In the meantime, I need you to be nearby."
With a bow the five were wrapped in stone, wind, flame, water and pink light before flying off. The moment they left Specter began coughing heavily enough to need him to remove his mask to cover his mouth with his hand. When he stopped, he saw Charlemagne's blood in the palm of his possessed hand. "This body will not last much longer," he thought. "But it soon won't matter. After we get last essence it will bring to me the true final piece to elemental war, the culmination of a score millennia of preparation, a perfect vessel."
Chip growled as Knuckles brought them into the Hall of Learning. "I refuse to believe it, there has to be another explanation. These Ixis guys can use magic right?! Maybe they found the Black Emerald was here from a spell, then they wouldn't need a traitor!"
Sally shook her head. "If that were the case, the Order probably would have found the essences of earth and air a month ago at least. Hopefully, we can clear everyone and find what is really going on."
"I'm not surprised in the least," said Whip. "You cells are so fickle and easily manipulated, with the number of wars on this planet even before the Xorda I'm surprised there's enough life for me and my counterpart to need to…"
"Bo-bo!"
A tiny echidna wearing blue footie came toddling up to Knuckles before banging a well-used looking rattle against his thigh.
Knuckles squatted down to the tyke who now began using the rattle on the guardian's head before he was picked up to out of his little arms reach. "Hey Kneecaps, come to your Bo-bo. What are you doing here you little rascal?"
"Excuse me," an Echidna woman in yellow robes said to a guard down the hall. "My baby boy Knecapeon Mace wandered off, have you seen him?"
"Ma-ma!" Kneecaps reached for his mother.
"I got him mom," Knuckles called out. "He's perfectly safe."
Lara-le came up and gave a sort bow. "It's nice to see you again Sonic, your highness. I'm sorry about this, since he started walking Kneecaps has been quite the little explorer."
Sally laughed. "I have a step-niece his age who's been the same way to my brother and sister-in-law, something tells me they'd be fast friends. So, what brings you to a scientific research lab?"
Lara took the toddler from Knuckles' grip and sat him on her arm. "I have a checkup with a doctor here today, I was just about to drop Kneecaps off at the daycare before then."
"We were actually on our way there," said Knuckles. "I wanted to show Sonic and Sally the puggles before meeting Relic."
"Ugh, do we really have time to look at more brats?" grumbled Whip. "If something is happening to a vessel that can hold an essence like ours, I'd rather know now."
"It's something Athair told me to check in on while I was here, don't worry it shouldn't take long."
"Still this doesn't seem to be the sort of place a family doctor would set up an office, what kind of checkup would you do here?" Sonic asked as they turned a corner.
Lara saw Knuckles shoot a concerned look at her direction. "One that needs a specialist, I can't say any more, we decided to keep it a family matter."
Knuckles sighed as he remembered when the hard truth hit nearly a month ago.
"Why have you both been seeing Finitivus?" Knuckles asked his mother and stepfather Wynmacher, Julie-su stood nearby watching silently. "I know everyone's supposed to be putting the past behind them and try to move on to a new future together but from what I heard this started before you got out of the Twilight Cage and when the issue of technology comes up you've been siding with the Nocturnus when I remember you would usually be hesitant about reintroducing it. Whatever changed had to have been while you were banished so tell me what happened."
Wynmacher sighed. "We didn't want you to worry about your mother, not when you're already worrying about the rebuilding, Robotnick and this new Order of Ixis."
"Why would I be worried about…"
"Dear," Lara interrupted. "Can you take Julie and see if Knecapeon's awake yet? I think it would be best if he just learned it mother to son."
"Of course," said Wynmacher. "I'm sure my boy's eager to play by now."
After Wyn and Julie left Lara looked out the window to the setting sun. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to comfort you when your father died. As far as we had drifted apart, despite what he did you and that he stood with the Brotherhood of Guardians instead of letting me help to raise you, you still loved him. I loved him too once, maybe a part of me still does, but I had to move on and live my life. When Knecapeon was born I thought I had what I was denied, a chance to raise a son in a loving home, but nothing is ever simple is it?"
Knuckles took her hand. "What are you talking about?"
Lara took a deep breath and looked into her son's eyes. "I was made to mine ore in one of the Imperator's mines. But while that was happening, I began frequently getting short on breath, my bones ached even after a full night's rest and my short-term memory had been going in and out. Once the overseer learned about this I was taken out and not given any more labor, he said even a dying prisoner should make the most of the time they have. I found out I contracted a rare disease, the Nocturnus called it The Long Requiem, there is no cure."
Knuckles grabbed his mother. "We can take you to Freedom City! They have the best doctors…"
"We're already working on it my son. After Finitivus became sane again and found out about my condition he thought he could make a treatment by using technology derived by the Voxai and it shows a lot of promise. The gene bomb interrupted the planning stage, but he's been working on this treatment every spare moment his wife can give him. It should be ready in a few weeks and then we'll know if it works."
"And if it doesn't?"
Lara looked back out to the sunset. "Then I have seven, maybe eight years left."
Knuckles punched a nearby table breaking it as tears began flowing from his eyes. "This isn't fair! I just got you back I can't lose you again, not after everything I've been through! My little brother needs a mom, someone to see him grow up to be a man! Wyn needs his wife, everyone who looks up to you needs you!"
"Knuckles you can't fix everything; it simply is what it is. Like I said the tests so far look good, we just have to wait until he can finish making the needed machine."
"Mom, I wish I could have been the sort of guardian you would have been proud of."
Lara cupped her son's cheek. "You already are, I might not have agreed on every choice you made, but you took this mantle well. But if the worst does happen, I'm going to need to do two things. First if possible, I'd like whatever children you have be given the choice on whether they wish to be a Guardian or not. Second, I need you and Julie to help Wyn look after your brother, by then he'll be old enough to understand what death is, let him know that even if I'm not there I still love him. Just like your father still loves you, and so do I."
Knuckles shook out the thought, "The treatment would have already been done if we didn't need Finitivus' help preparing our defenses. I just have to make it through today, Mom's going to be there for Kneecaps, her grandkids and great-grandkids if I have anything to say about it."
"We're here," said Lara as she put down Kneecaps before he toddled off to a stack of blocks before using his rattle to knock them over.
"Ah Knuckles, there you are," said a purple echidna female standing next to a crib. "Athair told me you'd be stopping by."
"Thanks for taking time off teaching to look after them today Komi-Ko," said Knuckles. "It's going to be a load off Remington's mind that you're on top of things here so he can focus on the defense. How are they?"
"See for yourself," she motioned to the inside of the crib. Sonic and Sally looked in and found two tiny baby echidnas; a red boy and a pink girl; laying on their stomachs and looking at each other only wearing diapers and happily sucking on pacifiers.
Sally gasped. "Is that…?"
Knuckles nodded. "Aurora and Enerjak, they hatched a couple of weeks ago. Nothing quite unites your people like knowing the goddess of life and the god of destruction had been reborn among you after reconciling millennia worth of differences."
Sonic looked at the babies curiously. "Are there any signs that they remember who they are?"
Komi-ko shook her head. "Athair said that their memories are probably buried deep within their minds, he doesn't think they'd be able to understand them in their current state. As much reverence and fear we gave each of them respectively it was decided it's best to just treat them like the sweet innocent little babies they seem to be." The two each dropped their pacifiers as they gave big yawns, Komi-ko gently turned each of them over on their backs. "And for right now that means nap time."
Chip smiled at the sight. "So much potential, at this point there's only endless possibilities ahead of them." He turned to Whip. "Isn't it incredible?"
"From their viewpoint I guess," said the dragon sprite. "Although as I see it all these cells are newborns for their whole lives in comparison to us."
"Excuse me," said a red echidna standing in the door with bushy brown eyebrows, a pair of glasses, a brown trench coat and numerous cybernetics. "I don't want to interrupt but Relic is starting to get anxious."
"Sorry about that," said Knuckles. "This is Cobar, he was the Dark Legion's top scientist for years but since coming back from the Twilight Cage he's been collating the accumulated the knowledge of all three tribes into a combined archive. He and Relic have gotten to be good friends, REALLY good friends if you catch my drift."
"Actually, I have been corresponding with Rotor as well," the Scientist said trying to change the subject with a blush. "He was quite helpful troubleshooting a few mechanical problems. But I'm supposed to get you to the Chaos Energy Research Laboratory, we'll be able to explain what's going better if we show you."
"I have to get to my appointment as well," said Lara-le. "Be careful out there everyone."
As they came left the daycare Kneecaps noticed the door was slightly ajar.
"Bo-bo."
Cobar brought them into a room that seemed to be equal parts scientific laboratory and museum. The blue pika looked up from a magnifying glass that was fixed over a table. "Good you're here."
"Sorry for the delay," said Sonic. "But what was so important that we had to hold up the mission briefing?"
"Take a look," Relic motioned for everyone to come to the table and placed the magnifying glass into position.
Sonic gazed into the glass at the relic known as both the Ancient Onyx and the Black Emerald, but unlike the last couple of times Sonic had seen it a noticeable crack was visible on top of the gem. "That's no good. The last time this was cracked opened Station Square was nearly destroyed."
"What happened?" asked Sally. "Did it get dropped or damaged by those scouts?"
"That's the strange thing, from Cobar's analysis the initial fissure started about a month ago, then I had it secured in the house the Chaotix built for me. They only started to get noticeable within the last week and it seems to have accelerated yesterday."
Chip flew up to the emerald and held his hand out to it. "I sense nine presences inside, but one is in deep pain. It began to feel others like it, and felt their power being taken from them. Sonic, I recognize one those moments! It was when our essence was stolen!"
"Then the one in in pain has got to be Chaos," said Knuckles.
"The timing matches up," said Sally. "It began cracking a month ago, about when they took Iblis from Blaze, the two Gaias were depowered days ago and Angelus was taken yesterday. Somehow he began to recognize that others like him were being violated."
Sonic noticed the crack grow a centimeter longer. "Doesn't sound like he'd be happy if he got out."
Sally looked up from the magnifying glass. "Tikal and the server chao are probably trying to ease that pain or hold him back, but if the Order of Ixis gets a hold of this it won't matter they'll just seal him in a new prison like they did Iblis. Even if he gets free since Specter has all the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos himself won't be able to reach full power, he won't be able to resist."
"I wouldn't count him out yet," said Whip. "Chaos might require an external source of power to access his full power, but it won't always be that way."
"Not to mention the server chao," said Knuckles. "Even after the Great Harmony they still might be able to become super emeralds but I only see that happening in this case if Chaos is willing to fight with us and even then I say only as an absolute last resort."
Sally nodded. "Thanks for letting us know but now we have to get ready to move this thing, Angel Island just isn't safe enough for it anymore. We still need it as bait to find where Specter's hiding but after the operation today we'll move it into the vaults under Freedom City until the current crisis is over, Eggman built those to contain powerful artifacts and weapons like this."
Cobar nodded. "We still have an analysis running on the emerald's integrity, but once it's over we'll take it to the agreed secure location."
"In that case we better get to Echidna Security Team Headquarters," said Sonic.
After the Freedom Fighters left and the two scientists continued their work no one noticed Kneecaps come into the room, or that a orange ball of light left the black emerald and stop right in front of the toddler.
"Oooooooo."
At E.S.T. H.Q. several Freedom Fighters were gathered in a large briefing room, everyone was waiting for the actual meeting to begin.
Over in one corner Big took Gold's hands "I missed you Goldie,"
"I missed you too," said the Tenrec.
The frog on top of Big's head croaked.
"Yes Froggie, I missed you too."
Tails and Cream sat down on two folding chairs that were quickly set up. "So, how's your first trip to Angel Island been so far?" Tails asked.
"Lovely, I can tell that the Echidna think this place is special. That's why everyone is so eager to protect it." Cream looked down. "But that means no matter what happens today someone's going to get hurt."
Tails sighed. "I know, this isn't like when Eggman attracted people to the Dark Egg Legion by preying on the greedy and the desperate. Amy, Lucian, Geoffrey, Hershey, Fiona, almost everyone Specter's throwing at us is doing this because one way or another they believe they're the good guys. You're brave, agreeing to fight when it's the last thing you want.
"The thing I hate about fighting is that it hurts people but if me fighting, even having to hurt someone myself will keep someone else from getting hurt worse then I'll hate myself for it but it's something I'm willing to do if there is simply no other way. Father felt the same way and that was what first got mother to fall in love with him."
Tails took Cream's hand. "Hopefully once this is over and we can stop the Order of Ixis and the Robotnick Ascendancy for good, none of us will ever have to fight again."
Nearby Nicole was inspecting a pair of chrome gauntlets Shard had on his forearms and hands. "So, they absorb the shock of the impact by converting kinetic energy into thermal, how often does the heat need to be vented?"
"About an hour after normal use," said Shard. "Fifteen minutes if I'm really slugging it out. But I prefer to do it sooner as a tactical move, the venting creates a steam cloud that can mask my position, good for hit and run tactics. How about that cyber suit any lag time while interfacing?"
"About a .02 second delay, unnoticeable for most but it gets annoying since as a digital being the only lag I experienced before was my own processing power. Still I'm grateful that my most useful skills can still help my friends."
"We really miss those hacking skills at the Secret Freedom Fighters. You know with Silver focusing all his attention on protecting Sonic there's been an opening on the team for over a month, you and me working together on a regular basis would be, nice."
"I, I can't do that to Sally, between Viktor and Specter she needs me now more than ever. She always stood up for me, even when I became Iron Nicole she knew the real me was somewhere inside Regina's spell, those horrible days when I was ostracized from New Mobotropolis it felt all the worse because she wasn't there to help me and I was beginning to think it was because it was my fault. I think you'll eventually find someone who will be able to help you out, but I'll come help whenever I can, after all I love you."
Nearby Mighty sighed at the sight of the couples, Ray put a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok brother, we'll get Fiona back."
A green armadillo girl crossed her mechanical arms with built in pile drivers. "Ok you had a bit of a history with this girl, you each thought the other was attractive and that was how you got into this whole soultouch thing, but you getting all mopey about a vixen who was only really your girlfriend for a day doesn't make sense to me. If we didn't have our DNA patched over then she'd just be someone you knew once and hadn't seen in years and for a lot of that time she was on the opposite side of you."
Ray looked at the girl with sympathy. "Matilda, your story and Fiona's actually have a lot in common. You were both captured by Robotnick and suffered because of it, you both chose to do bad things because you felt it was the only way to survive, you both also closed yourselves off because you lost faith in people."
Suddenly Mighty spoke up. "There's one more thing and it applies to me too. Like the two of us she is the child of criminals."
The stoic girl raised an eyebrow. "You never just straight up admitted that about Mom and Dad before, usually you tried to make up some excuse for them getting locked up."
"I talked with Fiona's parents while she was still missing and listening to their story it made me realize that our parents could love us intently and still have made selfish choices. It's cruelly ironic but while I used this strength Mammoth gave me to protect the weak when it mattered the most, I couldn't save the ones most important to me. You, Mom, Dad, Ray and Fiona; I couldn't free her from Robotnick and it planted a seed of bitterness that almost choked all that was good right out of her, even after we fell in love she got brainwashed into helping Specter because I didn't check on how she was doing as soon as I got back!"
"Brother," said Matilda. "We hadn't been back together long, but I can tell even more than Ray your one constant companion has been guilt. You don't have to keep blaming yourself for those you couldn't save, the Freedom Fighters are trying to get her and the others back so you're not alone in this."
Mighty took a breath. "Thanks, still I know deep down she wants me to be the one to rescue her."
Ray spotted Marine across the room. "If you'll excuse me there's someone I need to catch up with."
Matilda shook her head as she watched the raccoon and flying squirrel embrace. "I get all the changes the two of them went through had made him that way, but it still seems weird to see you two each obsess over some girl."
Mighty smiled at his sister. "Well Tilly one day, and it might come sooner than you think, you'll find someone who you'll probably obsess over." Mighty then looked as if he was trying to glare a hole into an invisible someone. "But whoever it is better respect you or …"
Matilda shoved her clenched mechanized fist an inch from Mighty's nose. "He'll get this," she said like she commented that it looked like it was going to rain.
Mighty suddenly went from nervous to laughing. "Sis, I'm convinced once you are comfortable enough to get out of your emotional shell, you'll have more friends than you'll know what to do with."
Matilda gave the barest hint of a smile.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Remington yelled from near a podium. "The Guardian, Princess Sally and Sonic have arrived so it's time to get this briefing started!"
Sally came up to the podium as everyone else took a seat. "Thank you all for coming, Echidna Security Team and Freedom Fighters alike. First, I'd like to hold a roll call of who's here from each division who pledged support. Let's start with the Artic Freedom Fighters."
"Guntiver here along with Erma Ermine and Augustus Polar Bear," said the Artic Wolf.
"Good, next Dragon Kingdom."
Dulcy stood up. "I brought Ken Khan and Cinder Pheasant."
"Thank you for personally coming empress. Crazy Kritters."
King Rob O' the Hedge stood. "Bow Sparrow, Thorn the Lop and myself pledge ourselves to your cause."
"We're glad to have you your highness. Downunda Freedom Fighters."
Walt Wallby stood seeming a little antsy. "Barby Koloa, Wombat Stu and I are ready for a ripper of a fight."
"Glad to hear it," Sally fiddled with the list on the podium confused. "Desert Raiders? I'm not sure I've heard you before."
An orange porcupine shakenly stood up with a mint green colored fennec fox and a large purple mole. "Spike the Porcupine here, these are my friends Sonar the Fennec and Treavor Burrow. You might not have heard much from us because… we collaborated with the Midesta Dark Egg Legion. Their leader was a mother to us when we were orphaned, she joined Eggman to keep us out of harm's way. All our fights were staged to keep a perpetual stalemate in the region, we didn't think we could win so an unending tie was the best we could hope for, until Eggman's brainboxes made us drop the act."
"Hey, don't be so down on yourselves," said Sonic. "You didn't want hurt to family and made a mistake; fact is you're here today so you can make up for it by helping us save the world!"
Spike, Sonar and Trevor gave a salute. "Thanks Sonic, we won't let you down!"
Sally nodded as the trio sat back down. "Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters."
A clam in a tank was lifted by two Mobians who seemed very unusual to the rest of the room. They resembled a grey shark and purple dolphin that instead of resembling mobini like most oceanic Mobians they were closer to normal Mobians with more humanoid bodies complete with arms and legs. The shark even had a dark green Chao with a spiky ball hovering over him, fin like wings and a mouth full of sharp looking teeth."
"Uh Bivalve here," said the Clam. "The FFFF weren't sure we'd actually be able to help that much but Ray the Manta managed to convince the King and Queen of Meropis to allow two members of the team who live there to come up here with me."
"Meropis?" asked Sally.
"It's an undersea city in the middle of the Central Sea, Meropians are more like you surface Mobians than the rest of us sea folk but they had been extremely cautious of the surface for thousands of years. But now they're on our side so let me introduce Razor the Shark and Echo the Dolphin."
"I'm technically on loan from the city guard," said Echo. "But I'll give it my all.
"Don't forget my buddy Crusher here," Razor said pointing to the chao. "He may have started out as a crybaby but now he's tough as nails."
Cheese flew over and tried to shake Crusher's hand, but a growl from the fierce chao made him hide behind Cream's leg.
Sally gave the sea dwellers a thumbs up. "Well once this is over, I hope Meropis and the rest of the world can enjoy a long and prosperous friendship. Next not officially Freedom Fighters but allies none the less the Babylon Rouges."
"Oh, we're ready to scrap," Jet said as Wave, Storm and Corva gave nods in the affirmative.
"Malada Island Freedom Fighters."
Tangle, Sticks and Whisper stood up. "Being on real mission with you guys," said Tangle. "This is going to rock!"
"You said it!" said Sticks. "We're fighting with the real heroes now!"
"I'm…glad," Whisper whispered.
"Finally, the Secret Freedom Fighters."
Shard alone stood up. "Sadly, I'm all they could spare. We got intel this morning that Robotnick is planning some sort of major offensive on the United Federation, everyone else is trying to figure out where he's going to strike and I'm also here to make sure he doesn't take advantage of the situation up here."
"We'll take all the help we can get. Ok, that is all the pledged divisions now onto the briefing itself with the Echidna Security Team. You have all been called here because we're expecting an eminent attack from the Order of Ixis."
"For our Freedom Fighter allies and those on the security team who slept during that part of Echidna History class the Order of Ixis were an ancient group of wizards who in their attempts to take over Mobius ten thousand years ago started a war with Albion that lasted two centuries," said Remington. "Now a new group of wizards have taken their mantle and are targeting our home once again."
"Why?" Lien-Da asked near a group of Echidna with cybernetics. "I as much as I understand revenge as a motive if we're getting this much help from the outside then there's got to be more to it."
Sally nodded to former grandmaster. "What's been kept classified until now is that the Order of Ixis is trying to carry out some plan that involves Chaos Emeralds and the essences of beings who embody the elements they manipulate. All they need now is the Essence of Water from Chaos who slumbers within the Black Emerald, during the Phantom Ruby War that emerald was brought to Angel Island and the order already tried to take it."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. "Why not just move it?" asked Shade near a group of echidnas who like her were wearing form fitting black armor. "If they know it's here why not just hide it somewhere safer?"
"Because while defending this city and its people is our primary goal, we also have to think long term. This is our chance to capture and interrogate one of them, once we learn where the Order's hideout is, we can take back the Emeralds and the Essences they've already stolen and put a stop to them for good."
"We got the best teams on Mobius right here!" said Sonic. "If anyone can pull it off it's you guys!"
Applause came from the crowd before Sally motioned for them to return to silence.
"The Black Emerald itself will be moved from its current safehouse to a classified location. The plan is to confuse the Order by setting up several decoy teams as diversions. Once we capture one or more Ixis Wizards the Black Emerald will be sent via warp ring to the vaults under Freedom City, that should force the rest to retreat. To maximize security of the Black Emerald only the team guarding it will know its location, the rest will only be informed that their team is one of the decoys. The E.S.T. will make sure Echidnaopolis is protected while each division will be assigned to one the island's other zones along with a Knothole Freedom Fighter and a member of the Chaotix. Sonic and I will be on standby to help any team in trouble while Knuckles will keep watch over the Master Emerald."
"That's the plan," said Remington. "Now to give all teams their assigned zones. First off, Lien-da and Shade will be the E.S.T. field commanders in the city and will accompanied by Julie-su of the Chaotix and Nicole Ellidy of the Knothole Freedom Fighters."
"Ellidy?" asked Julie.
"Something I've taken to calling myself lately," said Nicole. "Long story."
"Whatever," said Lien-da. "We might be on the same side right now but don't expect me to sit down for tea and cookies anytime soon."
Shade shook her head. "She's really been getting better, but she isn't what you'd call sociable with most people."
Remington sighed at his Aunt's gruffness. "Rotor and Ray, you're teaming up with Artic Fighters in Ice Cap Zone."
"Just like home," said Augustus. "We should all be able to handle it no sweat."
"Speak for yourself," said Ray. "The rest of you may be used to the cold but I'm glad I added a scarf to my outfit."
"Dragon Kingdom will be teamed up with Blaze and Liza at Lava Reef."
"Are you sure you can handle this?" asked Blaze. "My fire powers can keep me safe from the lava flows but it's going to be very dangerous for the rest of you."
"Cinder has fire powers of her own and dragons like the empress have been known to use lava pools like hot tubs," said Ken. "As for me and Liza she managed to get some fire shields for us courtesy of Hope Kintobor, we'll take the heat."
"Hydrocity Zone goes to Big, Marine, Vector and the Forty Fathom Freedom Fighters"
"We're all the best swimmers so it makes sense," said Vector.
"I'm just glad to be able to stretch my legs," said Bivalve. "So to speak."
"Babylon Rouges you'll be teaming up Tails and Charmy at Sky Sanctuary Zone, oh and we've already catalogued all the relics up there, so we'll know if you've stolen anything."
"Spoilsports," grumbled Wave.
"Antione and Saffron will be assisting the Crazy Kritters at Mushroom Hill Zone."
"It will be an honor to be at your side," Antione said bowing to Rob.
"You guys can count on us!" said Saffron.
"Marble Garden Zone will be protected by the Malada Freedom Fighters alongside Espio and Silver."
Espio turned to the girls. "I am looking forward to seeing what Valdez's students have learned from him."
"Thanks," said Whisper.
"The Dingoes are covering most of Sandopolis Zone but the Desert Raiders, Cream, Mighty and Gold will be covering an identified hole in their parameter and give backup if requested."
"Chao, Chao," said Cheese.
"Don't worry," said Cream. "We'll bring plenty of water.
"Alright," said Spike. "Here's our shot at being real heroes for a change!"
"Finally, Sky Canyon is assigned to the Downunda Freedom Fighters, Bunnie and…huh, looks like we're out Chaotix to…"
Matilda raised her hand. "I'll go with them, Bunnie and I worked together in the Great Desert Chapter of the D.E.L. that should cover things in that department."
"Fine by us," said Barby. "We could use some Legionized muscle."
Remington nodded. "Thank you for volunteering Matilda, you'll all be told if your team is a decoy or the guards of the Black Emerald by Commander Acorn in induvial team meetings. Sky Sanctuary team please stay for your meeting, other teams please go to lobby and return when you're called, the rest of you, head out to your assignments."
As most of the assembled began to file out Sonic began to inwardly steel himself. He knew Sally split up their own team among all the others for two reasons, the surface was to give each group support from the most successful division but the hidden reason was to figure who in their team, their family, was a spy.
Up on the Colossus Snively had stepped out of the shower of his personal quarters, he had finally gotten off all the spray Geoffrey covered him in after burning his old clothes and had just wrapped a towel around his waist. Robotnick was pleased, that his new prototypes passed their performance test with flying colors, he and the S6 just got a "better luck next time" and was dismissed which looking back was a better reaction than normal but still not worth getting his butt handed back to him by the Sonic's insufferable band.
He was about to catch up on some much-needed sleep before a nearby communicator turned on as Regina's face appeared. "Snively!"
"AH!" The lackey nearly dropped his towel in surprise.
"Oh," Regina said with a blush. "Sorry I caught you at a bad time, but I need your help. Specter is going to launch a major attack today and once it's successful he'll carry out his plan for world domination. Can you get Viktor to send you on another mission?"
Snively sighed. "I think he forgot you were involved in the last one. Unless he can get something worthwhile, I don't see him bending over backwards for you."
"How about the exact location of the Temple of Ixis?"
Snivley had to keep his towel from slipping a second time. "You mean Specter's hideout!?"
"We need Viktor to launch an attack just as we're conducting an important ritual. I can't tell you the location directly, Specter has a way to find out if we're lying to him, but this plan should let him find us on his own. Once you get the ok I'll need you to wear some kind of tracking device for Viktor, then I'll send you some of the garments we give to initiates of order and you'll come back through the same gate in disguise after that all Robotnick has to do is follow the signal while you help us with our plan."
"I'll see what I can do my dear, Doctor Robotnick mentioned he was planning several simultaneous assaults today and I don't think he'll delay them."
"I can probably hold out until tomorrow but not much longer. I'll call you again once I have a safe opportunity to do so. Until then my Snively."
The communication cut off, Snivley went into his closet and picked out fresh outfit instead of the pajamas he had been planning to slip into. "Looks like bed will have to wait a little while longer."
Sonic, Sally, Knuckles, Chip and Whip were alone in the conference room after the last team left. Sonic grumbled as he leaned against the wall. "I hate this plan, we're lying to our friends, the Freedom Fighters, the people of Angel Island, everyone."
"I know," said Sally. "But this is the best option we have, and we never out and out lied we were just economical with the truth."
"It is a smart plan," said Knuckles. "Tell each team they're one of the decoys then I warp ring the emerald to the Freedom City Vaults and head back to the Master Emerald shrine before anyone notices the thing is gone."
"Once we have our prisoner, we'll get reports in from every division about who was attacked. If one of the teams is ignored, we can assume that the Order was told that team was a decoy and we'll have our spy."
"But the echidna are in danger over something that isn't going to be on the island anymore," said Chip. "And we can't even be sure there is a spy at all, they could just be lucky for all we know."
"Doubtful," said Whip. "But in my opinion, we should ignore the spy for now and focus on finding my essence."
"Look," said Knuckles. "It is the worst possible plan, except for all the others available. Right now, we should focus on the task at hand, for me that means heading back to Relic and getting…"
Suddenly a call came in on Sally's Miles Electric, Relic appeared on the screen. "Guys we have a problem! The Black Emerald is gone!"
"Gone!?" yelled Sonic. "I thought you were doing an analysis on that thing! How could you lose it?!"
"Cobar and I just turned our backs for a minute to follow some readouts when we came back around it was gone!"
Sally looked like she was beginning to have a panic attack. "If the Order managed to steal it already then all this planning was for nothing!"
"Now stay calm everyone," said Knuckles. "It might have just been misplaced."
"Knuckles!" Lara-Le and Wynmacher ran into the room. "Knecapceon snuck out of the daycare, we can't find your brother anywhere!"
"Ok, get the E.S.T. to keep an eye out for him and I'll join in once I find the black emerald, I should be able to sense it like Master and Chaos Emeralds." Knuckles closed his eyes. "The Hidden Palace? Why would someone bring it there?"
Knuckles used a warp ring to open a portal to where he sensed the emerald.
"Ma-ma, Da-da, Bo-bo!"
Kneecaps was on the other side holding the Black Emerald in a room none of them had ever seen before. As they all stepped through Sonic saw he was in a large rocky cavern around which he noticed seven daises with palm fronds laid out as if expecting to have something large placed on top of them. The center was dominated by a larger dais with green crystals holding up something he saw may times before.
"What is the Master Emerald doing in here?" asked Knuckles.
"How did my baby get from the daycare all the way here?!" Lara said as she scooped her child up.
"I brought the Master Emerald here," Athair said as he came from behind the Master Emerald's dais. "I did so when this little one came to with the one who lead us here and requested that I bring it with me."
An orange ball of light flew down and soon took the form of an orange female echidna wearing ancient looking clothing with gold necklace and headband.
"Tikal," said Sonic. "How are you here? Is this because the Black Emerald is cracking?"
The girl from ages past nodded. "Since the last time we met Chaos has begun to understand more of why he had been changed from an ordinary Chao to the elemental he is today, that he was meant to balance his power with others like him."
"Like us," said Chip. "Even when I didn't know the surface, I could feel other forces both pushing and pulling at us, trying to find a balance and harmony."
"But in recent days as that power was pulled from the others, he felt the need to escape, restore what was taken and bring his wrath on those responsible. He means to take what Chaos Emeralds he can to assume his perfect form and begin another cycle of disaster and tragedy."
"That's not possible," said Sally. "Since the Great Harmony there are only seven Chaos Emeralds accessible to Mobius, and right now all of those are in the hands of the Order of Ixis, the very same people taking essences. All Chaos would succeed in doing is walking right into their trap and give their leader Specter the last thing he needs to conquer the world!"
A tear fell from Tikal's eye. "Then it is even worse than I feared! Since Chaos cannot assume his perfect form, we cannot hope to resist the powers of the other three, we need to repair and seal the Black Emerald away from this world before all is lost!"
"Seal it away?" said Knuckles. "But that means you, Chaos and the Server Chao will be cut off from Mobius forever!"
Tikal's tears continued. "It is a sacrifice…"
"That is simply unacceptable!" huffed Whip. "Chaos' life force is tied to the power of water in this world now, if he is sealed away from it every puddle, stream, lake, river, and ocean will dry up, it would be the end of life on this planet! You'd cause the very thing you're trying to prevent!"
Sonic looked at Whip with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be all about destruction?"
"My awakenings are like a forest fire clearing away old growth so new growth can flourish. Even Iblis was supposed to represent both the destructive and creative aspects of fire until Mephiles the Dark had interfered thanks to those scientists and perhaps once it is sealed within Blaze again it can learn balance from her by the time her life ends. The point is our power is vital to this world and cutting us off from it is the last thing you want to do. But repairing the emerald and keeping it safe is the best out of our dwindling options."
"I don't get it but sounds good to me," said Wynmacher. "How can we fix this thing?"
Tikal nodded. "The Master Emerald has power over the Chaos Emerald, but to affect one physically it would need more power than it has, that is why I asked the little one to help me bring it into this chamber. It was built by the All-Seers, echidna who used Chaos Power to try to read the future and my mother's ancestors, and from their visions they foresaw the Great Harmony and the creation of the Master Emerald. If the server chao were to use this chamber to give their power to the Master Emerald, then it could restore the Black Emerald."
"But that would mean the server chao would forever lose the power to become Super Emeralds," said Athair. "Are they willing to make such a sacrifice?"
"It was them who told me of this plan, that they were meant to hold onto that power only for a time so that a prophecy would be fulfilled."
"Is this a good or bad prophecy?" asked Sally. "We've had our run ins with both kinds."
"According to the All-Seers there were to be three who would take our world into a bright future; The Avatar who would embody power of the Chaos Force and create the controller, The Chosen One who would bring about the Great Harmony by sealing most of the emeralds away from those who'd abuse them, and The Destined Hero who would bind new servers to be in touch with the controller allowing them to reach their greatest power in times creation would need it most."
"So, Knuckles is the Avatar and Tails is the Chosen One," said Athair. "But I've never heard of the Destined Hero."
"You need not look far," Tikal then pointed at hedgehog in the room. "For the Destined Hero is you Sonic!"
Sonic then pointed at himself. "Me?! Does this mean I'm going to turn into a living gem like Knuckles or get hideously muscleified like Tails did?"
Sally rolled her eyes. "You just learned you might have to save the universe itself and that's what you're worried about?"
"You need not worry about it for now," said Tikal. "For that task is still yet to come, but for now we need to call forth the Server Chao and Chaos from the Black Emerald so that it can be repaired. I will keep Chaos calm while the chao empower the master emerald. Knuckles they will need your help to give their power to the Master Emerald."
"Ok, let's do it."
Knuckles took the black gem from his baby half-brother and placed it on the ground. Eight lights left the black emerald from the crack, seven went to each of the other daises and each changed into a chao the eighth came over to Tikal and became a watery humanoid who tried to appear menacing but then fell to its knees.
Chip went over to the creature. "It's ok, Sonic's going to get all the essence back. We are going to be fine you do not have to fight.
Chaos nodded to Chip silently.
Knuckles and Tikal both waved their hand before the Master Emerald then began speaking aloud together. The chao each began to glow in a different color. "The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power. Power is enriched by the heart. The heart is the controller. The controller serves to unify the chaos."
The colored light flew from each chao into the Master Emerald the chao then sat down looking tired. Tikal bowed her head toward them. "Thank you so much, please rest now. All we have to do now is use the power of Master Emerald to restore the Black Emerald."
"I'm afraid that's not in the cards."
Three things happened at once; a sharp looking gemstone flew out and shattered the Black Emerald, Chaos moved to protect Tikal and several orbs of energy sought out and struck the two of them and the seven Chao enveloping them in a strange barrier.
Sonic turned to find an opening had appeared in one side of the room where the Five Elite had just entered from.
"Amy!" Sonic and Sally shouted out at the same time.
Amy looked sad but resolved. "I am truly sorry, but that jewel was an unfit vessel for Essence of Water."
With a gesture Amy thrown all nine barriers into the Master Emerald. The Chao and Tikal screamed as it looked like the giant gem was absorbing them.
"Sonic listen to me!" yelled Tikal. "Don't let Specter deceive you! Remember what the Titans did for this world, that's to only way to…!"
Before she could finish Tikal, Chaos and the server chao were pulled into the Master Emerald.
Everyone turned back to Amy and the Elite. "The Master Emerald is the Vessel of Water that the Grand Design requires. I beg you let us have it and no will be hurt, now or ever again."
"No one will be hurt?!" yelled Knuckles. "Without the Master Emerald, Angel Island will fall! We would be safe if we were over deep water, but over dry land the island would shatter into pieces and everyone on it would die! Not only that we should be over Freedom City by now, the city and all its inhabitants will be crushed!"
"Amy this has gone on long enough," said Sally. "As leader of the Freedom Fighters I order you to stand down!"
"We answer to a higher power now," said Lucian. "Lord Specter has foreseen that we would claim the emerald, and no one will die today."
"So, you're not even trying to hide it anymore," sighed Sonic. "Amy, Geoffrey, Hershey, Fiona, Lucian; you have to believe me Ixis is not the benevolent god you think he is. He'll wipe out everything until only he is left."
"Lies from the usurpers," said Geoffrey. "But as the Titan's chosen champion I suppose you turning against them was unlikely."
"Stop this nonsense!" yelled Lara-le. "I can tell two of you are expecting, don't put your children in harm's way!"
"We're wasting time," Fiona moaned as she glared at Sonic and the others with violet eyes. "Hand over the emerald now."
"Please," said Hershey. "Even now your friends and ours are fighting, but hand it over and the fighting will end, ALL fighting will end forever."
Sonic clenched his fist. "I'm sorry Amy, I can tell neither of us want to fight but we both can't back down. This is going to hurt but there is one last thing I can think of right now to get you to stop before you do something you're gonna regret for the rest of your life. If but if doesn't work, then this will truly be the Freedom Fighter's Darkest Day."